TDF gets bids bellow 4 bln euros for French unit-sources

LONDON Aug 16 (Reuters) - Telediffusion de France (TDF)
received bids bellow 4 billion euros ($5.31 billion) for its
domestic unit, raising concerns over the deal and the company's
ability to repay debt, three sources familiar with the matter
said.

The owners of mobile and digital television broadcast
company TDF were initially hoping to raise at least 4 billion
euros from the sale to help repay a 3.8 billion-euro ($5.04
billion) debt pile and avoid a costly restructuring with their
lenders, two of the sources said.

Private equity fund TPG is TDF's largest shareholder with 42
percent of the equity, followed by France's national investment
fund FSI and fellow private equity funds AXA and Charterhouse.

TPG, TDF, FSI, declined to comment while AXA and
Charterhouse were not immediately available for comment.